Landmine (Bakugo x Kirishima x Female reader)

Chapter 43

I rush out of my apartment and down the stairs, out the front door and onto the street. I take back alleys and side streets, not having a plan of where to go, just knowing that I can't go back to my building. Meldrum knows where I live and there's a good chance he's already sent people after me. There's no talking his way out of this one.

It's already getting late so it's easier to hide among the people moving along the street. With my small bag, it looks like I'm a collage student on my way home from classes.

Without many options, I find a secluded alley and sit down next to the least smelly dumpster. It's a little cold, but it's bearable with the metal receptacle blocking the brunt of the wind whipping through the narrow alley.

Every creak, crack, shuffle or whisper sends my heart racing. I don't even know if Meldrum would send Gil after me. He could hire anyone to come kill me. The smart move would be to have someone take care of me quietly, but I get the feeling that Meldrum is going to want to make me suffer before finally ending me.

Exhaustion hits me close to three in the morning and I rest my head against the brick wall, closing my eyes while keeping a knife in my hand. I know I'm going down, but it won't be quietly and I will be taking someone with me.

Several hours into my dozing off, a man with a cart wheels down the alley. I try to get to my feet, thinking that this is going to be it. This is my last stand, but when I try, I forget that I'm missing a left leg and try to put all my weight on it, sending me quickly back down onto my ass. A jolt of pain goes through me from the force of my decent onto the concrete and I feel pathetic that I might not be able to fight back.

"Whoa there lass" he says, holding his hands out in front of him "you looked a little cold, thought you might like this and someone to watch over ya"

He slowly reaches into his cart and pulls out a thoroughly stained blanket. When I don't say anything, he approaches me, draping the warm fabric over my lap before stepping back to the other wall and sitting down. I pull the blanket up to my neck, basking in the warmth.

"Thank you" I finally say.

"You're welcome." He takes a bite out of a hunk of bread, offering it to me. I decline, not wanting to take his food. "haven't seen you around here before. Down on your luck?"

"Something like that" I reply, making sure my knife is close to my thigh just in case.

"This is the alley I started out in five years ago. House fire. Took my remaining family." He rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Ya got anyone ya can stay with? I'd be happy to escort ya. No one spares a glance at the homeless, you'll be perfectly ignored."

"I'm sorry about your family. And no, there's no one that knows me that can take me in. And no one I would needlessly put in danger by asking them to."

"Sounds like ya've got a heck of a story"

"I do" he seems to wait for me to continue, but I say nothing, preferring to be a mystery that he might solve one day.

"You need somewhere to lie low and figure stuff out?" He asks

"Yeah. Just for a day or so to figure out my next move." I really should have thought this through.

"I got a place. Follow me" he stands and grabs his cart, meandering toward the street. He notices my hesitation and calls over his shoulder "If I wanted to harm ya, I would have the first time I rolled by."